Heat-insulating unit.



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GEORGE n. ELLIS, 0E sr. PAUL, MINNEso'ra HEAT-msULATING UNIT.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented .inne a, iai a..

Original applicationled March 16, 1914, SerialNo. 842,959. Divided and this application filed March 22,

1915. Serial No. 16,061.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE H. ELLIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Heat-Insulating '.Units; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. j

My present invention has for its object to provide an improved heat insulating unit adapted for very general use, but particu-' larly adapted for use in connection with refrigerator carsand the like; and to lsuch ends, generally stated, the invention consists of the .novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined4 in the claim.

Thepresent application is filed as a division,I of my Patent 1,137,197, issued of date, April 27, 1915, and entitled Refrigerator car floor.

The'improved heat insulating unit consists of a flexible waterproof-,envelop an a non-waterproofed heat insulating filler incased in the envelop and protected thereby from moisture. Preferably, the envelop is made from a light weight asphalt roofing which is not only water-proof but is, in itself, a good heat insulating material; and the filler is preferably an insulating vegetable fiber, such as flax, and advisably is a flax product known to the trade as flaxli num. This latter notedl product has a high heat insulating capacity.

It is a Well-known fact that flax or other vegetable fiber, or for that matter, all heat insulating materials, have a much higher heat insulating efciency when dry than when wet. It is also a Well-known fact that liax and other vegetable Vfibers will sour when wet.` Experience has further shown that all water-proof materials applied to these insulating fibers materially decrease the heat insulating quality thereof.4 Hence, the

obviousfimportance of applying a waterproof envelop around a non-water-proofed filler or heat insulating body. Itis of the "of flexible material, first, because the fenvelop must be formed around the filler, or formed in shape to receive the filler by bending, and furthermore, because a flexible envelop provides for closer joints between adjacent assembled units.

In the 'accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention, like characters indicatel like parts throughout the. several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view showing the completed heat insulating unit looking at the top thereof; and

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the unit looking at the bottom thereof, with some of the parts of the envelop broken away and opened up.

`The flexible water-proof envelop is indilapped with 'the first noted overlapped edges. The Said overlapped edges are cev'mented together and to the overlapped portions of the body of the sheet, preferably by the use of suitable water-proof cement, and thus the envelop is made so that it will lefl'ectualll exclude moisture from the filler,

and the ller will always be kept in its dry condition, regardless of the amount of moisture to which the eXteriOrofthe envelop is subjected. i

' This improved envelop has come into extensive use in refrigerator cars,and elsewhere, and has been found highly efficient for the purposes had in view. It is of small cost and may be very conveniently applied in various places, such,`for example, as be- Vcated by the numeral 1 and the liber filler` i tween the joist of rafters or sills of the floor, A

' Walls or ceiling of a refrigerator car, or

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vother inclosure where it isldesired to preenvelop being -folded around said ller and 10 vent the passage of heat, elther inward or having overlapped edges.

outward. In testimony whereof I aix my signature What I claim is: 1 in presence of two witnesses. A heat insulating pane or unit comprising 'anenvelop made of flexible water-proof GEORGE H' ELLIS' material, and a non-water-proofed heat in- .Witnesses: f Y

sulating filler incased in said envelop and BERNICE'G. WHEELER,

protected thereby from moisture, the said HARRY D. KILGoRE. 4 

